December Favorites

"Tonight Girl", William Michael Morgan: William Michael Morgan has released a slew of songs this year, and while all of them show off his signature throwback Country sound, "Tonight Girl" is by far the best of the bunch. This track is smooth and smoldering: perfect for a slow dance, or just dreaming of one while crammed on to a crowded subway.

The Capitol Studios Sessions, Jeff Goldblum & The Mildred Snitzer Orchestra: I have long enjoyed Jeff Goldblum as an actor for the quirkiness that he brings to roles and his unique diction, but I wasn't sure what to think when I saw that he had made a jazz album. I have been pleasantly surprised by this wonderful live recording. Listening to this album is like being at a fantastic jazz show while sitting in my living room rather than having to deal with the hassle of a club and annoying crowds. Goldblum takes charge of piano and emcee duties while backed by a terrific band (Till Brönner on trumpet is especially wonderful) and joined by Haley Reinhart and Imelda May on vocals for a handful of tracks. Goldblum's takes on "It Never Entered My Mind", "Caravan", and "Cantaloupe Island" are highlights, but the joy of this album is the way it successfully captures the energy and vibes of a live jazz show and bottles it up for infinite consumption.

Clueless: The Musical: Clueless is one of my favorite films, but I had no idea what to expect from a musical retelling of such a seminal classic. It turns out this show is totally rad! The casting is perfect, with all of the actors enough like their Hollywood counterparts to create grounding and nostalgia, but still able to put their own personal spin on their parts through their performances. I was highly skeptical that anyone other than Paul Rudd could really do Josh justice, but David Thomas Brown was a totally charming and swoon-worthy foil for Dove Cameron's Cher (though not as swoon-worthy as Paul Rudd – as if!). The writing in this show, especially the song lyrics, is exceedingly clever, due to the fact that Amy Heckerling was on hand to adapt her own material for the stage. All the songs in the show are 90s hits (e.g. "Little Miss Can't Be Wrong", "You Gotta Be", "Barbie Girl", "Torn", "Bye Bye Bye", "You Get What You Give", and many more! It's pretty much like Now That's What I Call Clueless), but with the majority of the lyrics rewritten to fit the story of the show. There are tons of funny lines in the dialog and lyrics, and I laughed hard and often throughout the show. The last time I had so much fun at the theatre and was so delighted by a show was Groundhog Day. Indeed, if I had to pick one word to describe Clueless: The Musical, it would be "delightful", and trust me, I'm not buggin'.

The Mule: Clint Eastwood is still a magnetic force of nature at 88 years old. Clint gives a terrific, nuanced performance in The Mule, and also does a great job directing, making the most of the strengths of his talented cast. Bradley Cooper and Michael Peña are excellent as wisecracking maverick DEA agents, and Andy Garcia seems to be having just as much fun in his role as a wealthy, somewhat lax drug lord as he did with his equally suave and random roles in Book Club and Mama Mia! Here We Go Again. Clint also successfully balances several different story lines effectively while always conveying that everything will come together in the end; part of what makes the movie so entertaining is watching how that convergence unfolds. Much like its protagonist, The Mule is not flashy or fancy in any way, but its stripped down simplicity feels fresh and is exactly what makes this movie so enjoyable to watch.

Eight Hundred Grapes, Laura Dave: This is one of those books that seems like it was written just so its film rights could be optioned, but that is not necessarily a bad thing. Eight Hundred Grapes (which made it on to my TBR list due to Hugh Jackman recommending it on Twitter) is a wonderfully breezy Romcom with all the meet-cutes, jilted fiancés, small businesses being taking over by soulless corporations, family drama, and beautiful settings one could hope for. However, like any well-crafted Romcom, these familiar tropes are exactly what makes this book fun and enjoyable. Dave's writing is high quality and wonderfully descriptive, and her heroine is spunky, flawed, and self-empowered. Eight Hundred Grapes is a nice quick vacation read, or a good book for any time you need to escape the daily grind.